Five awesome music apps for the iPad

We're all pretty well aware that the iPad launches tomorrow, and while your standing in line at the Cherry Creek Mall waiting for yours, we'll be busy banging drum sticks on a stone tablet wishing we were you.

Just because we're not getting one, however, hasn't stopped us from drooling at a few of the music related apps that will be debuting with the miniature computer/giant iPod Touch's launch.

We've looked through video after video to find some of the most interesting early uses of the system (and not just upscaled iPhone apps), so you'll be able to quickly find them and get to making the first ever iPad created, recorded and mastered album. Here are five (okay, a few more sneak in there) that look exceptionally cool.

5. Pianist Pro You know what sounds more pretty than a piano? Nothing. So Pianist Pro already has that going for it. The iPad also solves the biggest problem with iPhone/Touch music apps by having a significantly larger sized screen. Playing a piano is almost possible on the iPad, and, more importantly, utilizing different features and touching things on the screen won't be as cumbersome. If a piano isn't pretty enough for you, then we expect the Airharp or the accordion simulator to do the trick, or how about the miniSynth Pro or the regular Synth?

4. Rj Voyager If you haven't played with RJDJ's reactive music software before, picture something like a cross between Brian Eno and Negativland. It's makes music that reacts to environmental sounds -- and while not really in the spectrum of "creating" music, it's cool, nonetheless. Also of interest is Magic Piano, Matrix Music Pad and Tangible Groove Pad.

3. ForscoreWhile we can't read sheet music ourselves, we imagine music teachers, students and composers wouldn't mind having this little doodad at their disposal. While it can't really justify the purchase by itself, it's pretty dang neat. The thing can read sheet music and comic books? Shit, we're sold!

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2. AC-7 Pro Control Surface Wireless control surface? We don't know what that means! But we do know it looks nifty, and if nothing else, it continues to display the potential of the iPad's knack for music making and editing. Of course, what we'd really like to see is a version of Apple's Logic Studio. Now that would be keen. Luckily, though, others are already in the game, including the rad TouchOSC, Four Track and Cue.Play.DJ.

1. iElectribe We are not joking around when we say this: This could be the killer app for music makers. Having paid $500 for the real world version of this sequencer and absolutely loving it before it exploded, this is, without a doubt, the one thing we really wanted to see. It's not just about the Electribe specifically -- it's the fact Korg is jumping on and supporting this device. Korg's shown great prowess in supporting digital music of all kinds, and we're really crossing our fingers this isn't the end of their experiment with the iPad. If you hate Korg for some reason, worry not; there are plenty of other options including Sonorasaurus Rex, Bleep!Box, dPad and likely hundreds more.

Anyone want to loan us an iPad for, uh, review purposes? How about you? Picking yours up tomorrow? Do you think you'll try making some music on it instead of using it to consume media?